Has anyone here ever had a bout of ‘Diplacusis’ before? My hearing in one ear is severely sharp vs. the other (almost a full half-step difference).

[Rooster_Ties]

Well more than a quarter-step — damn near a half-step. I’ve tested it holding an A440 YouTube video on my phone next to one ear, and then moving the phone over to the other ear — and it’s quite a difference.

Here’s what it is, apparently (what I found from just googling about it)…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplacusis

It just started 5-6 days ago, along with some ringing in my right ear (the ear that’s perceiving things almost a half-step sharper than reality).

I’m not incredibly worried about it YET — I’m assuming I have some fluid and maybe an infection too — in my right ear (the one ringing), but no pain. And I assume it’ll sort itself out in a week or two, on its own.

I had tons of ear infections as a kid, got tubes in my ears (tiny tube in the eardrum) at least twice (as a kid) — and I eventually grew out of it.  And for the most part, I haven’t had more than a half-dozen ear infections in the last 35+ years.

I’m also assuming maybe I’ve actually experienced this effect — but more in BOTH ears at the same time (if it is fluid behind the eardrum) — but rarely in just one ear only.

Anyway, let me also tell you this is anoying as fuck. It’s like everything is double-tracked 24/7 — with the second track a half-step sharp — aka perpetual half-step-dissonance. (Maybe Charles Ives would have loved it!!)

I can sorta listen to MONO recordings, as long as they don’t have lots of piano chords (especially delicate ones). So listening to piano trio recordings  is absolutely out — but most early horn-driven bebop is a little more tolerable (better with 2 horns, not just one — but not 3 or more either).

But stereo recordings — especially with some instruments hard-panned to the left, and others entirely to the right — and especially listening on earbuds — is absolute torture.

Anybody here ever experienced this before???

There was a public holiday event at work on Sunday, with Xmas music on the PA — and let me tell you Alvin and The Chipmonks just about did me in.

Edited 5 hours ago by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

Oh, and my annual physical is 7 days from now — so I will definitely bring it up with my GP. (I’m also hoping it’s at least somewhat better by then.)

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I have heard one ear temporarily shut off a couple of times but never had it go off pitch. My right ear is pretty damaged from too many loud rock concerts in my younger days so I'll never be able to compare ears anymore.

[sgcim]

See an EN&T doc ASAP!

I had blockage in one ear earlier this year and intense sinus pain, so I made an appointment to see my EN&T guy to get my ears cleaned, and after he used that electronic tool to clean out my ears, he said,"Now isn't that much better!"

I couldn't hear any difference. Thank God, the guy gave me two scripts; one a strong antibiotic, and the other a Fluonase generic nose spray, I had a big band gig that night where the band was gonna play one of my charts, so I didn't fill the scripts that day. I got to the gig and noticed I was having a hard time getting a good sound out of my guitar and amp.Then we play the first tune, and it sounded like a bunch of banshees screaming!

I realized I couldn't hear any of the low pitched instruments; all I could hear were the altos and trpts. For some reason  I was able to finish the set without freaking out or anything. Then on the break, I calmly told the guys in the rhythm section that I couldn't hear the bones, Bari or Bass. they just shrugged their shoulders, and the bass player had to open his mouth. He asked us if we ever heard of this well-known bass player, saying that he just got a bunch of sub gigs for him, because he lost the ability to hear pitch, and couldn't play music anymore.

That's when I started to freak out. I told the drummer/leader about my problem and asked him if he thought it was like the bass player's problem. He said the bass player's problem was neurological, and mine sounded like some type of ear infection. That mellowed me out, and a bunch of the other guys in the band started telling me about their similar problems with their ears. One revealed that he had a hearing aid.

The next day I filled the script, and made slow, steady improvement. Everything's been fine until this week, when we lost the heat in the co-op building I live in. I've been hearing ringing in my left ear, but it's not that annoying. Can the intense cold we've been having in NYC cause ear infections?